This invention relates primarily to a means by which herbivorous wildlife may be fed temporarly during harsh winter months when natural foods within their own primitave habitats reach or approach starvation conditions.
The Emergency Feeder For Herbivorous Wildlife consists of a highly camouflage cylindrical shaped food dispensing device designed to be located primarily in the wild. Unlike other wildlife feeding devices, this invention is designed to concentrate food directly onto the ground for all varieties of herbivorous wildlife under emergency starvation conditions. This invention alluded primarily to a device consisting of non-corrosive materials, but it is not confined to that. Unlike other cylindrical feeder devices, the uniform cylindrical shape of this device is a necessary and vital embodiment of the design. The device is uniquely suspended vertically from two points, from a tree limb above or from another flexible structure in the wild, and it's base is anchored critically close to the ground below. In that position, the weight distribution of food within the device is supported by the ground, and it bears little weight upon the device or upon the structure from which the device is suspended. The contour of the entire length of this device is necessarily uniform in size and shape for enhanced camouflage purposes, and it is divided into identical, removable reservoir sections for height and volume adjustment. Its camouflage outer design contains transparent sight inspection areas along its length to inspect the level of food inside it. With the help of the random motions of wind, animals, or other forces which may be exerted upon the device from time to time, either horizontally (such as by an animal) or vertically (such as by the uplift of a swaying tree limb), an innovative spring-pump, anti-clog feature dispenses and maintains a consistent supply of loose flowing food at its base directly and immediately onto the ground. It has a manually operated, adjustable food valve which regulates the flow of food through the device. It can be easily refilled from the top. It can be shortened, or disassembled for cleaning or service without tools by removing or reinstalling the mechanical fasteners of the device which are all uniform and identical in design. The device is noise-free, requires no batteries, motors, or electrical devices. It is easily transported and installed by one person.
All prior non-electric, non-motorized feeder devices were derived from two basic concepts: One concept functions as an elevated feed container, hanged from one point, with an outlet and a trigger component (ie: wind propeller, lever arm, flexable hose, plug, plunger, etc.) located at the bottom of the container; so when the trigger component is activated in response to one of either wind force or animal utilization, fresh feed will dispense. This concept requires an elevated position above the ground or water to accommodate animal accessibility to the trigger component beneath the device, which facilitates broad scattering by the time the feed reaches the destination during the vending process, which is a problem for some advanced feed products containing fine grain mineral supplements. Seven of the fourteen references cited: Prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,945,859; 4,270,489; 3,780,701; 3,683,617; 3,515,098; 3,034,480; 2,913,511 are of this basic concept.
The other basic concept functions as a simple feed container which funnels and dispenses feed densely by means of gravitational force through an open outlet(s) located along or in the bottom of the container without a trigger component, directly onto either an affixed trough/tray component or onto the ground. Those utilizing or requiring a trough/tray component often required, or were intended for an elevated position hanged from one point above the device. The other seven reference cited, prior patent numbers: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,083,687; 5,345,892; 5,235,935; 5,195,460; 5,105,765; 4,896,628 and 4,800,844 vary in design but are of this basic concept utilizing a trough/tray component.
No prior devices of his basic concept were discovered or cited that vends directly onto the ground since they are typically a one part contraption homemade of various tubular materials, are very simple, and have no moving parts. They require rigid attachments to a stationary object such as a pole or a tree trunk, and they are ideally suited for concentrating mineral supplements directly onto the ground and have other functional advantages over those of this same concept with a trough/tray component. Unfortunately, these simple devices which dispense feed contents directly onto the ground lend themselves to clogging. They are limited to, and require frequent active animal utilization to remove the old, exposed, and often unfresh feed to initiate new exposure of the fresh feed contained within. Otherwise, in the absence of frequent utilization activity, a small portion of feed exposed at the threshold of the outlet remains motionless and subjected to rot-causing conditions of nature such as moisture or fermentation, and insect nesting which causes solidification of the feed near the ground, and even more so if mineral supplements are included. Consequently, the remaining fresh feed within may become clogged at that point rendering the feeder device inoperable as most herbivorous animals by nature will avoid unfresh, rotten feed.
Past designs of feeders have favored the feeding of specific types of creatures only: domestic or wild; bird or animal. Most were created for domestic, non-wild settings. The few feeders which are created for the wild are not emergency feeders, but feeders for attracting specific wild animals or birds. They are more cumbersome to transport and do not dispense fine grained mineral additives well. They are not designed to blend well with the wild environment. Each has highly visible geometry, uncamouflaged in profile when positioned in a wild context regardless of finish; a pending problem in terms of theft and animal acceptance. They are more complicated and expensive in design, and they are less economical to manufacture or purchase. This invention fills the need to overcome those shortcomings.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,913,511, 2,972,334, 3,638,617, 4,945,859, 4,270,489, 3,515,098, 3,780,701 and 3,034,480, Feeders, are each vaguely similar in their functions and design. Except for U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,498 which clamps to an upright surface, they each hang freely elevated above the ground by a bail or by a rope. They are each cylindrical in shape. They each vend food from their bottoms scattering it broadly from above onto the ground or into the water below. They each are mechanically activated by either wind, animal, bird, or fish, via a trigger component to vend food, but they each are designed to feed a specific variety of wildlife only.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,195,460 and 5,105,765 Bird feeders, by Loken, can each hang by rope or bail from an overhead object of some sort. They are each cylindrical, they each give access to food mechanically, but they each are designed to feed birds only utilizing a trough/tray component above the ground.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,345,892, 5,235,935, 4,896,628, Feeders, are each elevated above the ground by rope or bail. They each are cylindrical in shape. They each have multiple feeding stations located vertically along their cylinder housings. Neither dispenses food from the bottem or onto the ground, and each are designed to feed birds only.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,844, "Dispensing Device For Food and Water", attaches to a wall near human habitat. It is primarily a continuous-feed inverted container over a tray, which meters out food onto the tray as food from the tray is eaten or removed. Its design restricts its use primarily to a sheltered environment for domesticated animals and birds, and to partially tame smaller wildlife.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,815,679 and 3,083,687 hangs from one point at the top of above the device and it is mainly cylindrical in shape. They dispense feed when a bird manipulates the tray at the bottem of the device, but they are designed to feed birds only and require an elevated position above the ground.
Historically, the feeding of wildlife within their own natural habitat during dangerous slack-food periods was confined technologically to feeding a specific variety of wildlife only, even if it was done at all. Deer, elk, and other wild creatures wander into urban areas in search of food when food becomes scarce within their own natural habitat. Prior to this invention, efforts to keep wildlife within their own environment during slack-food periods were not very successful. This invention is designed to enhance the chances for better results in the future.